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Vehicle Reviews:
2012 Nissan Versa Hatchback Review

If you are looking for a very affordable, roomy, and overall great economy subcompact car, consider the 2012 Nissan Versa Hatchback. For being an economy subcompact, the Versa is surprisingly roomy on the inside and we were thrilled to find the seats more comfortable than other cars in this category. Nissan claims that the Versa has the most legroom for the class, and we agree wholeheartedly.

The 2012 Nisssan Versa Hatchback is configured slightly different compared to the Versa Sedan. The Versa Hatchback sports an efficient 1.8 liter 4 cylinder engine. With the automatic transmission, the Versa Hatchback gets a respectable 32 miles per gallon on the highway and 24 for city driving. If you opt for a manual transmission, you will get 26 miles per gallon in the city and 31 on the highway.

However, Nissan offers a CVT transmission that makes the Versa Hatchback get even better fuel economy: 28 city and 34 highway. The three transmissions are not drastically different in terms of miles per gallon, it really depends on your preference and cost. The basic S trim manual transmission Versa Hatchback starts at around $14,000 MSRP, so if cost is your main concern, a manual S trim Versa Hatchback will turn out much cheaper than similar cars in the class.

Unfortunately, alloy wheels do not come standard, but that is typical for most economy subcompacts. We really like what the SL trim offers, though. For about $17,500 MSRP you can get an SL trim Versa Hatchback with the Tech Package. That gets you Bluetooth connectivity for your phone, satellite radio and the iPod/USB package for the stereo. What we really like about the tech package is that Nissan puts in a navigation system with a 5-inch screen that makes you forget you’re driving an economy car.

The Versa doesn’t get the greatest horsepower for the class, but there are few subcompact hatchbacks that do better. Nissan sells a few cars that are more pleasing to the eye than the Versa Hatchback, but for the price, Nissan has put together a winning economy subcompact.